1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a garment particularly adapted for use with an infant requiring intravenous or gavage therapy. The garment conceals the catheter or tube on the outside of the garment and allows the garment to be put on and taken off without disturbing the catheter or tube.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Intravenous and gavage therapy are often prescribed in hospitals for premature infants and infants diagnosed with serious illnesses. In the former procedure a central venous catheter is surgically inserted into the patient so that one end is in a large vein leading to the heart and the other end extends out of the body through an aperture in the chest area. The central venous catheter is used to deliver intravenous therapies such as parenteral nutrition, chemotherapy, antibiotics, blood products and other fluids, as well as for blood withdrawal.
In the latter procedure a gastrostomy tube is inserted into an infant's stomach for feeding the infant through the tube, as well as for administering medications. In some instances, an infant may have both a central venous catheter and a gastrostomy tube. For example, a premature infant started with parenteral nutrition introduced through a central venous catheter may as the organs develop begin receipt of enteral nutrition through a gastrostomy tube while continuing parenteral feeding. In other instances the central venous catheter may be needed for other purposes while feeding is through a gastrostomy tube.
In the case of a central venous catheter, the catheter exits the body on the right or left side of the chest and in the case of a gastrostomy tube, the tube exits on the left side in an area below the rib cage. Special needs babies with a central venous catheter and/or gastrostomy tube may be in the hospital for many months and then have therapy for many more months at home under the supervision of a parent or other caregiver. The biggest problem with central venous catheters which go into the heart is infection. Line infections are caused when the line is broken into to change a garment that is soiled. The more times the line is broken into, the greater the risk for infection. A baby on total parenteral nutrition may be given nutrition through a central venous catheter for 18 hours a day and have a bowel movement almost every hour. Babies on total parenteral nutrition also have blow outs and feces can reach the upper neck front and back. This increases the risk of infection if the baby lays in the discharge for several minutes or even an hour or more if the blow out occurs during the night. With currently available garments, the central line must be broken during a diaper change or a clean up after a blow out and, each time, there is a risk of infecting the line.
A central venous catheter may also be accidentally jerked or pulled out. If this occurs and not caught soon enough, a baby can bleed to death. Surgeons suggest taping the central venous catheter to the baby's neck area and back so that the line is out of reach. More commonly the end of the central venous catheter is tucked inside the baby's outfit where it hinders tummy time and irritates the child's skin. With currently available garments, there is no provision for curling up the central venous catheter on the outside of the child's garment such that it does not rub against the baby's skin. Nor is the central venous catheter readily available to perform line maintenance and/or blood draws or administer medications or fluids without waking the baby up. Sick babies are often fussy babies and waking them up may not be ideal for the parents or other caregiver.
There are also problems with gastrostomy tubes. While the risk of infection is less than with a central venous catheter, there is a risk that the tube may be accidentally pulled out of the baby's stomach, causing the baby pain and a trip to the emergency room to install a new tube. With currently available garments, the gastrostomy tube is not protected from being accidentally pulled, nor is the tube accessible without disrobing the baby.
Finally, there is also an issue of appearance and a desire to make the presence of a central venous catheter or gastronomy tube as inconspicuous as possible and to make the baby look as normal as possible. Currently available garments do not meet this requirement either.